Parents invited to meeting on grading practices - December 13, 2011

Fort Wayne Community Schools is inviting parents and students to attend a meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14, at North Side High School, 475 E. State Blvd., to hear more about and provide input on improvements and changes to the district's grading practices.
FWCS wants to ensure district-wide grading practices are consistent and accurately reflect what students have learned. High school level teachers and administrators have been working on this issue for several months and want to share information and hear from parents on the process. The goal is to have new practices in place by the 2012-13 school year.
Since last summer, a task force examining FWCS grading practices has studied several issues, including the role of non-academic factors in grades, such as attendance, discipline, work habits, participation, etc., homework purposes and expectations, the weight given to various assignments, task and exams and the practice of issuing extra credit. Task force members have researched the issue, which affects schools nationwide, talked to experts on the subject and asked students to share their real-life experiences with grading in the classroom.
Any changes made to grading practices in the district will still allow for professional judgment by teachers, but the judgments should be guided by practices that maximize accuracy and fairness for students.
"Fairness and accuracy are features students and parents have a right to expect from the grading practices employed in their schools," said Debra Faye Williams-Robbins, High School Area Administrator. "That is the intent of the work currently under way and the work that will unfold as classroom assessments and grading in our schools continue to evolve."

With nearly 30,000 students, Fort Wayne Community Schools is one of the largest school districts in Indiana. FWCS proudly allows families to choose any of its 50 schools through its successful school-choice program creating diversity in each school, including some with more than 75 languages spoken. FWCS offers seven magnet schools focusing on areas such as science and math, communication, fine arts or Montessori at the elementary and middle school level. In high school, students can choose from the prestigious International Baccalaureate program, Project Lead the Way or New Tech Academy as well as other rigorous academic and specialty training programs.